Travel Agency in Singapore

Indian expatriate David (not his real name) and his wife told Today that the agent, who went by the name of "Kaveena", had offered relatives visiting the Republic return air tickets, cruises and stays at the two integrated resorts.

But on May 23 - about a month before their relatives were due to arrive - the couple found that the cruise, flight and hotel bookings were all cancelled because payments had not been made. Despite repeated demands, "Kaveena" has not returned the money to the couple.

Said David, a 39-year-old IT professional: "We tried to contact the travel agent who avoided meeting us by giving lame excuses that her son had been admitted to hospital and that she could not meet us. She carried on this excuse for the next three days."

David has filed a police report and lodged a complaint with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE). A police spokeswoman confirmed a report has been lodged and investigations are in progress.

According to David, "Kaveena" said she was a freelancer who worked for multiple travel agencies. She allegedly issued the couple an invoice under "Dream Holidays Tours & Travel" while in the office of another travel agency in Orchard Towers.

A National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) spokesperson reiterated that it is an offence to operate as a travel agent without a valid licence.

The spokesperson added: "The travel agent should be representing the agency with which he or she is working and not multiple travel agencies."

According to CASE, complaints lodged against the travel industry in general have declined over the past three years. CASE received 994 complaints last year, compared to 1,102 cases in 2008. The consumer watchdog received 542 cases in the first five months of this year, said CASE executive director Seah Seng Choon.

In light of David's experience, CASE and NATAS have advised consumers to be vigilant when they book or make payment for tours. Said a NATAS spokesperson: "If at any point consumers are suspicious of an agent's actions, they should request to see the travel agent's licence and confirm its validity with the Singapore Tourism Board." Mr Seah added that if a customer is unable to resolve a dispute with a travel agency, he can seek the assistance of CASE or file a claim with the Small Claims Tribunal.